Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-04-21

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some one.
Linwood women were ordinary They
were exceedingly ordinary Therefore they
decorated first themselves, then their homes.
With the stimulus that money of their own,
and communication with minds outside of
their own gave them, they, too, walked up to
some important facts. They learned how far
behind the day they were in their social ways,
their housekeeping. They took to improved
methods There had been bitter quarreling
and heartburning, family rows, in short,
in many Linwood household before because
of the undoubted preference of tho masculine
half of the house for the grocery and rum
shop.
Linwood mothers and daughters made now
the astounding discovery that wives and chill
dren who are neat handsome and merry
delicate food, pretty healthful homes, music
and jolly yet harmless home amusement,
have more attraction for men than even q
rum shop. Wives and daughters have the
inside track all the time with the average
masculine animal, if they only had sense
enough to keep it.
Linwood had heard temperance lectures
since the time the noble red man gave up
| and surrendered to the white man. Yet
here, right under their noses, was temper
ance lecture worth more than all the rest.
How odd they had never thought of it be-
fore!
So Linwood was transformed, wholly and
forever.
| II was i'll very truth Shirley who did ALL
1t was over again what George Morrison
had read to her from the enchanted life of
Joan of Arc:
Daughter of God, all things were under
her,"
Was it not so?
To accomplish worthy aims, three things
are necessary: Unselfishness, singleneSs of
purpose and eternal enthusiasm
Shirley gave up her village school at length
She gave it into the hands of one of her best
pupils. So from the master TO Shirley, from
Shirley to the favorite pupil, the school was
handed down and kept running on worthily
in the wise old ways.
Shirley had other work that was more re-
munerative, and that was forced ON her al
ways as the first consideration With all she
had on her hands, it was her steady regret
that she found no time to do her hest at any
thing. Night never closed in on her and
found her free from a caro- for the next day.
She never had one week to rest.
She had now modest yet solid distinction
as writer. The ideals in literature that L. )
had set before her as peerless statues when
she was 16. were locked away from human
sight. Out of the fullness of the practica!
knowledge she had gained in her years Of
toll and trial, she wrote now. 1t was exactly
this feature that made her work of especial
value for everyday reading. People are glad
to read that which helps them practically.
But she wrote no more poetry
y 4 X
Linwood had indeed changed since we knewi
it first. Now it had railroad Trains dailyI
went laundering past the old stone house, till
its very walls shook. Little regard have iron
and steam for beauty in nature. They laugh
to scorn sentimental memories The old mill
was pulled down by the railway company.
The iron tracks followed the bed of the pict-
uresque mill race They cut through the
heart of the clump of graceful swaying will
lows, the very willows under which Shirley
had sat while the master read to her the mar
velous story of Joan of Arc.
Even so the iron had cut through the heart
of Shirley's romance. Even so, God help usl
the iron pierces the soul of us all, every one.
And one fine morning Shirley walked and
remembered she was so years old
The brothers and sisters were nearly all
men and women now. Alice, the youngest,
was IA. Harry was II. These two were
especially near to Shirley They had hung
about her neck in their helpless babyhood.
Fatherless, worse than motherless, they had
only this TALL strong sister to cling to.
During these years so many minor Incl
dents had happened in the Carstone family
that it has not been possible to keep up with
them all. 1t was well Shirley's worldly
prospects had frightened. AS the children
grew older the need of money to educate
them, to start them in life, increased con-
stantly. Shirley worked and planned with
out ceasng to meet the demand. 1t gave her
steady pride and pleasure that she was able
to do so.
The children followed each his natural
bent. no two of them alike. Percy, who had
been SO fond of studying the ways of birds
and insects, developed into naturalist He
was q SLENDER handsome youth, devoted to
his studies with enthusiasm
Pet, otherwise Master Francis Peyton, sur
prised the family by saying deliberately one
day:
CnileyS WaHG W ~ W WeSG TOlnt.
have made up my mind to it."
His mother looked at him in amazement
"Great gunsl Pet, said Percy, "you'ro fool
in. You mind when you used to hold your
hands over your ears and run and hide your
head in the pillows when father was teaching
Tom to shoot at q mark? If you went into
the army, somebody might fire off shooting
cracker close to your ear on Fourth of July
-whatd you do then?"
"rvc made up my mind l want to go to
West Point" was all the answer Pet made.
Shirley was the magician who did every
thing for everybody in the Carstone family.
Her brother got his wish. Children develop
in unexpected ways, sometimes. Pet the
timid, the delicate "girl boy" of the Carstones,
became thesoldier A gallant soldier he made,
too. Strangely enough, he was daring to
OF all the four sons he was the
one who in manhood most resembled their
brave, dashing father.
With Tom and Brownie Shirley had most
trouble Brownie was dancing, springing
merry little cricket of creature, as full of
lie as squirrel, as mischieyous, too. She
was very pretty girl, with laughing brown
eyes, crisply curling black hair, clear, ivory
tinted skin, nose family "tip-tilted," and lips
like scarlet cherry. She was much admired
and sought after.
Given her own way in all things, and Miss
Brownie at 18 was the most charming young
lady in the world. But given not her own
way, she could make the household hum to
degree beyond the supposed capacity Of
gentle young ladydom.
There was inborn in poor Brownie pas
sionate fondness for things beautiful and ar